Event Music Compliance in India — What Every Organiser Needs to Know Before Show Day

Who is actually responsible for music licences at your event?

Under Section 51 of the Copyright Act 1957, three parties share joint liability for music played at an event: the venue, the event organiser, and the performer. All three can be sued simultaneously. In practice, the event organiser is the party best placed to ensure everything is in order — you have the contracts, the budget, and the relationship with every other party.

Do not assume the venue has it covered. Do not assume the DJ has it covered. Put it in writing who holds what, and verify before show day.

Which licences does your event need?

For most events in India with a DJ or recorded music, you need licences from two bodies:

PPL covers sound recording rights for over 450 music labels including T-Series, Sony Music, Universal Music, and Lahari Music. Every track from these labels needs a PPL event licence to be played legally in public.

Novex covers sound recording rights for Zee Music, Yash Raj Films, Tips Industries, Shemaroo, and Saregama (since April 2025). If your DJ plays any Bollywood tracks from these labels — Pathaan songs, Kala Chasma, anything from YRF — a Novex licence is required separately.

IPRS covers composition and lyrics rights — the underlying musical work, separate from the sound recording. IPRS is required for all commercial public performances. The one exception is wedding ceremonies and their associated social festivities, which are exempt under Section 52(1)(za) of the Copyright Act.

Each of these is a separate licence from a separate body. Holding a PPL licence does not cover Novex tracks. Holding a Novex licence does not cover IPRS. They are independent obligations.

Background music licence versus event music licence — know the difference

This catches more venues and organisers than anything else. PPL issues two completely separate licences. The background music licence covers ambient music played continuously in a space — a restaurant playing music during service, a hotel lobby, a retail store. The event music licence covers a specific occasion — a DJ night, a corporate function, a launch party.

A venue with an annual background music licence is NOT covered for events. If you are hosting a DJ night at a hotel or club that has a background music licence, a separate event licence is still required. RMPL and Novex have the same distinction. This is not a technicality — courts have upheld it repeatedly.

The one-licence strategy

The most cost-effective approach for event organisers is to plan the setlist around one catalogue and obtain only one sound recording licence. If the DJ's setlist uses only PPL tracks, only a PPL event licence is needed. If the setlist is only Novex tracks, only Novex is needed. The licence obligation is tied to what is actually played, not to a blanket requirement to hold both.

Use Trakinfo to verify every track in the proposed setlist before the event. Confirm each song's licence body, build the setlist accordingly, and obtain the matching licence. This is legally sound and significantly cheaper than holding both PPL and Novex for every event.

Compliance checklist — before every event

Add these to your event production checklist alongside venue permits, fire NOCs, and noise permissions:

1. Confirm which music will be played and which licence bodies cover those tracks.
2. Obtain PPL event licence if any PPL catalogue tracks are planned.
3. Obtain Novex event licence if any Novex catalogue tracks are planned.
4. Obtain IPRS licence for all commercial events (not required for wedding ceremonies).
5. Add a clause to your DJ contract confirming licence responsibility.
6. Carry copies of all licences on show day — licensing body representatives and investigators do attend events without notice.

Penalties for non-compliance

Copyright infringement under Section 51 of the Copyright Act carries civil and criminal consequences. Fines can reach ₹10 lakh per song. Repeated or wilful infringement carries up to three years' imprisonment. Courts can issue injunctions stopping an event mid-performance.

PPL, Novex, and IPRS use investigators who attend events and venues to check compliance. In September 2024, the Delhi High Court issued injunctions against Hyatt, Lemon Tree, Trident, and Leopold Café for playing music without valid licences.

Obtaining the licences in advance costs significantly less than defending a copyright infringement suit.